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1988 Canadian Grand Prix
12 June |number = 457 |officialname = XXVI Molson Grand Prix du Canada |circuit = Circuit Gilles Villeneuve |location = Montréal, Quebec, Canada |circuittype = Temporary street circuit |lapdistance = 4.390 |laps = 69 |distance = 302.910 |pole = Ayrton Senna |polenation = BRA-1968 |poleteam = |poletime = 1:21.681 |fastestlap = 1:24.973 |fastestlapdriver = Ayrton Senna |fastestlapnation = BRA-1968 |fastestlapteam = |fastestlapnumber = 53 |winner = Ayrton Senna |winnernation = BRA-1968 |winnerteam = |second = Alain Prost |secondnation = FRA |secondteam = |third = Thierry Boutsen |thirdnation = BEL |thirdteam = }} The 1988 Canadian Grand Prix, otherwise known as the XXVI Molson Grand Prix du Canada, was the fifth race of the FIA Formula One World Championship, staged at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montréal, Quebec, Canada, on the 12 June 1988.'Canadian GP, 1988', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2015), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr457.html, (Accessed 09/04/2019) The race would see Ayrton Senna sweep to a dominant victory for , despite slipping behind teammate Alain Prost at the start. The Canadian Grand Prix made its return in 1988, having been skipped in after issues regarding sponsorship following the withdrawal of Labatt. Fortunately a backer had been found for the race in 1988, with the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve getting a major update, including a new pit complex, for its return. Regardless, qualifying would see McLaren-Honda continue their domination of F1 in 1988, with Senna streaking to pole two tenths clear of teammate Prost. Almost a full second then followed before Gerhard Berger appeared in third place for , while Alessandro Nannini was the best placed non-turbocharged driver in fifth. On raceday it was Prost who got the initial advantage, sprinting ahead of Senna off the grid to claim an early lead. The Brazilian duly led the chase from second, fending off Berger into the re-profiled first corner, while Michele Alboreto fought with the two s. Prost and Senna would would hold a temporary truce with one-another during the early stages, allowing them to pull clear at the head of the field. Indeed, Berger was left in an increasingly lonely third place, until a fuel system issue caused his pace to collapse. Senna would wait until lap nineteen to attack Prost for the lead, and duly sent the #12 McLaren scything inside the sister car at the hairpin. Prost's hopes of mustering a response were subsequently dashed by traffic, with Senna escaping up the road during the following laps. Indeed, there would be no on-track changes through to the chequered flag, with the only revisions to the order coming through mechanical failure. Alboreto was one of those to fall foul, losing third place when his engine failed, while the two s of Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese also disappeared in a cloud of engine smoke. Out front, meanwhile, Senna would cruise to the chequered flag six seconds clear of teammate Prost, making it five wins out of five for McLaren-Honda in 1988. Thierry Boutsen was best of the rest in third, the only driver not to be lapped by the McLarens, while defending Champion Nelson Piquet fended off Ivan Capelli in the closing stages to claim fourth. Background Another impressive victory for Alain Prost last time out in Mexico had allowed the Frenchman to extend his Championship lead once again, arriving in Canada with 33 points to his name. Gerhard Berger had remained his closest challenger, being the only other driver to score points in the opening four races in , although the Austrian was already fifteen points behind. Ayrton Senna, meanwhile, had moved closer to Berger in third after his second place in Mexico, although he was eighteen off of his Championship leading teammate. In the Constructors' Championship it had been a very productive afternoon for in Mexico City, with a one-two finish putting them onto 48 points after four races. That left them some 21 points ahead of second placed , with those two the only teams in double figures with a quarter of the season gone. Best of the rest were in third, although they were level on points with upon landing in Montreal. Entry list The full entry list for the is outlined below: Practice Overview Qualifying Friday Qualifying Saturday Qualifying Qualifying Results The full qualifying results for the are outlined below: *T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car to set their best time in that session. *'Bold' indicates a driver's best/qualifying time. Grid Race Report Results The full results for the are outlined below: *T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car. Milestones * First race to be staged on the 4.390 km (2.728 mi) layout of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.'1988 Canadian GP', chicanef1.com, (Chicane F1, 2014), http://www.chicanef1.com/racetit.pl?year=1988&gp=Canadian%20GP&r=1, (Accessed 09/04/2019) * 25th entry for Ivan Capelli. * Ayrton Senna claimed the 30th pole position for as a constructor.'5. Canada 1988', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1988/canada.aspx, (Accessed 09/04/2019) * Eighth career victory for Senna. * McLaren claimed their 60th victory in Formula One as a constructor. ** secured their 32nd victory as an engine supplier. * Alain Prost recorded Honda's 70th podium finish. ** Prost also set a new record for most races finished in the points - 74. * Senna claimed the 200th fastest lap recorded using Goodyear tyres. * Riccardo Patrese became the first driver to retire from 100 Grand Prix. Standings Victory for Ayrton Senna saw the Brazilian ace move into a clear second ahead of Gerhard Berger, and close the gap to Championship leading teammate Alain Prost. Yet, the Frenchman still held a daunting fifteen point lead at the head of the field, meaning Senna was almost two races behind after five races. Elsewhere, Berger himself was a clear third ahead of Nelson Piquet, while Michele Alboreto completed the top five. Likewise, Prost and Senna's sparkling form during the early stages of the season had left with a huge lead in the Constructors' Championship, leaving Canada with a 36 point lead. Their closest "challengers" were still , although with less than half the number of points of the Anglo-Japanese alliance there seemed little hope of them catching them. Behind them remained , who pulled themselves clear of , while were on the board and ahead of the similarly powered squad. Only point scoring drivers and constructors are shown. References Images and Videos: * References: Category:Grand Prix articles Category:Grand Prix articles Category:1988 Grands Prix Category:Canadian Grand Prix